Today we
honor Mary, the Holy Mother of God.She
made it all possible.What does “it”
refer to?Christmas.Our salvation.Our union with God.It all happened through her.

Now the
blessing from the Book of Numbers 6:22-27
is fully realized.God’s face shines forth
in the flesh.God’s face shines upon us through the face of
a baby.Through Mary, God has given us
peace, for Jesus has reconciled us with God after humanity’s rebellion and has
made it possible for us to live at peace with one another.

Ultimately
peace, like faith, is a gift from God.Human efforts alone won’t bring it about.Peace comes from the awareness that we are
truly children of God.

Since the
Son of God united His divine nature to our human nature, He has made us all
children of God. Moreover, since we are made in the image and likeness of God,
you could say that we are all “spittin’ images” of God our Father. We are God’s
children and the human family is one.

But even
more, for Christians, according St. Paul in Galatians
4:4-7, there is a deeper reality to our identity as God’s children.We are “adopted,” not in the way humans adopt
children. Parents can give many things and much love to their adopted children
but they cannot share with them their genetic make-up, their blood, their
DNA.When God adopts children through
the sacrament of baptism a real transformation occurs. It is as though God
changes our deepest interior, making us His children in reality.

This is the
source of peace.

Since the
1960’s, the first day of the calendar year is the World Day of Peace.Every pope has written a special message for
this day and Pope Francis is no exception.His is entitled “Fraternity: The Foundation and Pathway to Peace.”

Referring to
Matthew 23:8-9, he writes: “The basis
of fraternity is found in God’s fatherhood. We are not speaking of a generic
fatherhood, indistinct and historically ineffectual, but rather of the specific
and extraordinarily concrete personal love of God for each man and woman.”And, since Jesus shed his Precious Blood in
order to save everyone, each person is precious to God.Now we must see others as precious. As Pope
Francis says, “there are no ‘disposable lives.’”

Since God is
Father of all, we are all brothers and sisters. This includes our enemies.Addressing those who are in conflict with one
another, Pope Francis writes: “in the person you today see simply as an enemy
to be beaten, discover rather your brother or sister, and hold back your hand!
Give up the way of arms and go out to meet the other in dialogue, pardon and
reconciliation, in order to rebuild justice, trust, and hope around you!”

Pope Francis
concluded his message with a prayer to Mary: “May Mary, the Mother of Jesus,
help us to understand and live every day the fraternity that springs up from
the heart of her Son, so as to bring peace to each person on this our beloved
earth.”

Mary is the
Mother of Jesus who is our peace. She shows us that peace is born and nurtured
in the heart.Mary first received the
Word of God into her pure and Immaculate Heart and then she conceived Him in
her womb.In her Heart there were no
obstacles to God’s will. There was no anxiety or worries, no resentments or
anger, no jealousy or competition. Her Heart was totally open to Jesus who is
our peace.

This is the scene we have in Luke 2:16-21
where Mary gazes upon the face of the Son of God and her Son, and treasures in
her Heart all her moments with Him.

With Mary as our Mother, we too focus our gaze on Jesus and treasure in our
hearts our moments of encounter with Him. We open our hearts to Him and let His
peace fill them. If we do this, then the peace that Christ alone can give will
overflow into our families, our communities, the world.

As the
Russian Orthodox saint, Seraphim of Sarov, who has been called another St.
Francis of Assisi, once said: “Maintain a spirit of peace and you will save a
thousand souls.”

To register as a member of the Apostleship of Prayer, to subscribe to leaflets,or to order additional leaflets for distribution to others, please contact us. Thank you for your generous support of our ministry.